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The quarterback race, of course, has been at the top of everyone’s list of things to watch at fall camp.

And it’s been a roller coaster.

On the first day, Austin Hinder showed up in force. He looked like he might be the top quarterback of the three.

Nearly a week later, it’s hard to say the same. The junior has seen his repetitions decline, and his play has been less and less impressive. The consensus now is that the actual race is between Jared Goff and Zach Kline.

That all said, Hinder did bounce back a bit on Saturday.

“I thought Hinder was better today,” said coach Sonny Dykes on Saturday. “Based on what I saw today, they all performed pretty well. I thought the timing was better. The accuracy was better — particularly with Hinder.”

Maybe Saturday was the beginning of a Hinder rebound, but it’s still difficult to think he’s any more than third place at this point.

Make no mistake about it — the race isn’t over yet, and Hinder isn’t out. He’s still getting some reps in 11-on-11 drills, and he could come out and impress when the pads go on on Monday. But right now, it looks like a showdown between Goff and Kline.

Which brings us to those two.

Zach Kline has impressed so far in camp. Though he’s been inconsistent at times, and though his goal of not having a turnover during camp is already shot, he has still made big throws.

“Kline is showing off his arm strength, and he’s also showing touch on his pass,” said wide receiver Bryce Treggs on Wednesday. “That’s something I feel he didn’t have in the spring.”

When watching Kline, it is clear he has the strongest arm of the three. He can thread footballs in between coverages that Hinder and Goff simply can’t. But those risky throws have come at a price, with several turnovers so far.

Goff, meanwhile, has a completely separate set of skills. He appears to perform a little better at running Dykes’ offense, which makes sense because he ran it in high school. In addition, his timing throws seem to be a bit better than Kline’s, although Dykes has seen great progress in both of them.

“They’re both anticipating throws better,” Dykes said on Thursday. “The more reps they get, the more they see things clearly.”

Goff just seems to be better at the touch throws. Though he can’t thread the needle quite like Kline can, he seems to be able to hit a receiver in stride with the slightest bit more consistency.

Both of them have shown another trait that Dykes is reported to like: the ability to run. Both have had scrambles in 11-on-11s that went for first downs.

Though their skill sets vary, the race right now is impossibly close. Hinder is down, but he’s not out. Meanwhile, Kline and Goff couldn’t be closer. Dykes has said that he wants a decision in two weeks, but from the first week, there is no clear front-runner. Only time will tell whether a natural leader will emerge or the coaching staff will have to force the issue and name a starter.

Contact Riley McAtee at rmcatee@dailycal.org. Follow him on Twitter @riley_mcatee

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Without pads on, the defense hasn’t been able to shine in the same way that the offense has.

But it’s still had its moments.

The first name that comes to mind is Kameron Jackson. The junior has been on every receiver’s short list of toughest defensive backs to face so far.

“He isn’t a big guy, but he’s very quick, he has great hands, he gets up in your face when he needs to and, even when he’s off the ball, he’s pretty hard to fight with,” said freshman wide receiver Jack Austin. “But I feel confident going against him.”

Another name that stands out is Jalen Jefferson. The sophomore, who will now be a starter, has caught at least one interception and could have had several more. Jefferson is the outside linebacker in a unit that will now only feature three players after the move to a 4-3 defense. His partners in crime will be Nick Forbes and Khairi Fortt, who is finally eligible to play after his transfer year.

Outside of those names, finding standouts on defense has been difficult. This is probably because the team is not yet in full pads, which has limited physicality.

It also could be a result of injuries. Defensive end Chris McCain has been dealing with a bruised shoulder for nearly all of camp, and his reps have often been limited because of it.

Injuries have also slowed Nick Forbes, who has missed time with a back injury. He’s slowly making his way back into the lineup during camp.

And on Saturday, Trey Cheeks sprained his ankle. He may miss time as well.

But injuries aren’t even the most depressing story on the defensive side of the ball. During 11-on-11 drills, several hits could have been called for targeting, a new NCAA rule that places restrictions on the way a defender can hit a defenseless player.

Kameron Jackson has been on the giving end of two of those hits. Luckily, no one has been injured so far, and the hits can now be used as good examples of how not to hit.

Right now, the defense is in a state of flux. It’s possible that more will be revealed when the pads go on Monday, but the case may also be that nothing clears up.

Contact Riley McAtee at rmcatee@dailycal.org. Follow him on Twitter @riley_mcatee

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Training camp is the perfect time for young players to shine, and many of Cal’s freshmen have done just that.

A list of talented freshmen could not start without running back Khalfani Muhammad. The former high school track star is obviously fast, and at 5-foot-7, Muhammad looks like a little bowling ball zipping up the field. If he can turn that speed into effective football running, he’ll be a difficult force to stop.

But as of right now, he probably will not be able to upend Daniel Lasco and Brendan Bigelow in the lineup. Still, there’s no question that Muhammad may see the field as a true freshman once the season starts.

And of course, the other freshman everyone’s eyes are on is Jared Goff. At this point, he looks to be in a two-way race for the quarterback position. As such, it’s hard to say that any freshman could have more of an impact than Goff, should he win the job.

Meanwhile, some lesser-known names have impressed.

Jack Austin has been a bright spot at wide receiver for the Bears.

“He’s coming out there and working every day,” said wide receiver Bryce Treggs about Austin. “He’s one of those guys who never takes a day off — or even a rep off.”

Austin has caught some deep balls in 11-on-11s, and in Tony Franklin’s new offense — which rotates wide receivers at a rapid pace — it seems like Austin has a very good chance of getting playing time in the fall.

Meanwhile, a freshman made an impression on Austin: Cameron Walker.

“He’s very tough,” Austin said about Walker. “He’ll get up in your face and manhandle some guys if necessary.”

Walker has broken up a few passes over the first week of practice and has a chance to fulfill a desperate need for Cal at cornerback.

Of course, there are others who have impressed as well — from Trey Cheek to Aaron Cochran to Jacobi Hunter to Johnny Ragin — but it is hard to determine at this point who will see time on the field. The one thing that’s certain is that Cal has the second-youngest roster in college football, and as such, freshmen will have a chance to contribute in 2013.

Contact Riley McAtee at rmcatee@dailycal.org. Follow him on Twitter @riley_mcatee

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Though the practices can vary wildly, the Daily Cal takes you through what the typical day looks like for the Cal squad once practice begins at 5 p.m.

5 p.m.

Practice begins. The first players arrive via the north tunnel and begin warming up.

At this point, the players are going through what is called prepractice — some basic warm-up drills to get them loose and ready for the day. Music is playing, and the atmosphere is relaxed overall. Eventually, more and more players trickle out of the north tunnel, and the entire team is on the field.

5:30 p.m.

All the players line up on various yard lines and begin a set of stretches and warm-up routines. Coach Sonny Dykes can be seen surveying his team each day during this portion of practice, often looking like a field general with his hands behind his back as he observes. This stretching time marks the beginning of actual practice.

5:45 p.m.

The first drill in practice is always an 11-on-11 with the offense and defense facing off. This particular drill is usually very short; sometimes it will only consist of a handful of plays and will often only feature one of the three quarterbacks.

6 p.m.

Immediately following the first 11-on-11, the team breaks into separate groups to work on individual drills. This typically involves drills in which the offense is in a skeleton formation — essentially a 7-on-7, but offensive players take the place of defenders. This drill helps players work on formations and other basics. Meanwhile, the defense is at the south side of the end zone — usually with the defensive backs, linebackers and defensive line all working separately with their individual coaches.

6:15 p.m.

At this point, practice becomes a madhouse. Players switch drills every few minutes, and the all-important 11-on-11 drills become intermixed.

Essentially, practice looks very much like Sonny Dykes’ offense is supposed to look — fast and complex. It’s impossible to focus on everything at once.

7 p.m.

Practice always concludes with a final 11-on-11 drill. This one lasts longer than the rest and often goes the full length of the field, with each quarterback getting his turn under center.

7:15 p.m.

When the players begin practicing kick return drills, the practice is all but over. The quarterbacks can be seen trying to throw footballs into a trash can at this point — with mixed success. Some individual training continues, but many players are already wrapping up.

7:30 p.m.

The players huddle up and take a knee near center field for some inspiring words from members of the coaching staff. The day is summed up, and the players are dismissed. Media interviews are conducted shortly afterward, and the camp is over for the day.

Contact Riley McAtee at rmcatee@dailycal.org. Follow him on Twitter @riley_mcatee

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The race may be down to two.

On the fourth day of practice, quarterback Austin Hinder seemed limited in number of reps, while Jared Goff and Zach Kline got the majority.

And in the reps he did get, he didn’t look that impressive. Hinder overthrew a couple of passes and was sacked at least twice.

Coach Sonny Dykes, however, did not confirm that the race may now be down to just Goff and Kline.

“Yeah, it was just kind of what we did today,” Dykes said about Hinder’s limited reps. “We’ll evaluate it tomorrow and come out with a plan tomorrow.”

Kline and Goff, meanwhile made the most of their fourth day. Kline had a pass that should have been intercepted by Damariay Drew, but overall, he did not look off of his game. He also had a scramble in 11-on-11s that went for nearly 20 yards.

And Goff got the most action. He had a few beautiful deep passes that showed off his touch and sense of timing. Goff also rolled out on a few plays and was able to complete passes while throwing on the run.

“They’re both anticipating throws better,” Dykes said. “The more reps they get, the more they see things clearly.”

Right now, it looks like Goff and Kline are in a tight, two-horse race. But Hinder is still getting reps and is not out for the count just yet.

Today was also the first day that the players competed in “shells,” or shoulder pads and helmets while still wearing shorts. In previous practices, the players had only worn helmets, and the increased padding immediately led to an increased physicality in the practice. Though tackling was still not allowed, there were a few big hits. One in particular, between Kameron Jackson and Jonah Hodges, stood out.

In a typical 11-on-11 drill, Hodges caught a short pass and immediately collided with Jackson. The hit featured an audible boom that was heard throughout the stadium. Fans gasped, but neither was injured on the play.

Dykes plans on using those kind of big hits as an opportunity to teach his players how to hit properly. New NCAA rules have placed greater restrictions on how a defensive player can hit an opponent.

“We’ll look at it and see, but based on what I saw, it could have been targeting,” Dykes said. “We’ll pull it off tape, show it to our players and use it to teach.”

Speaking of Kameron Jackson, the junior cornerback has received high praise from his colleagues. Wide receivers Bryce Treggs and Jack Austin both called him the best cornerback they have had to go against.

“He isn’t a big guy, but he’s very quick, he has great hands, he gets up in your face when he needs to and, even when he’s off the ball, he’s pretty hard to fight with,” Austin said. “But I feel confident going against him.”

With the physicality heightened, defensive players were able to finally show their teeth. Things will only get more aggressive when fully padded practices begin on Sunday.

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Twenty-two. That’s the number of positions Cal coach Sonny Dykes said are unsettled after the third day of practice. The entire roster is up in the air.

And nowhere is the position more up in the air than quarterback.

Austin Hinder began the day and immediately threw an interception to Jalen Jefferson. Ouch.

“Very first play — I loved it,” Jefferson said of his interception. “I almost had three today.”

Hinder probably didn’t love it quite as much.

The interception didn’t rattle Hinder, as he came back to make some tough throws later in the practice. Unfortunately, he threw another pick later in the day. Though his performance wasn’t bad by any stretch outside of those two interceptions, they put a damper on his day and definitely did not help him in the race.

Zach Kline also had two picks throughout the day, breaking his goal of having no turnovers throughout camp on just the third day. But Kline was able to make some other big throws, including several that were threaded between tight defensive coverage.

“Kline is showing off his arm strength, and he’s also showing touch on his pass,” said wide receiver Bryce Treggs. “That’s something I feel he didn’t have in the spring.”

Jared Goff, meanwhile, easily had his best day of camp and hit Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs on some downfield throws. The true freshman also showed off his running ability when he scrambled for about a 10-yard gain during 11-on-11s.

“Today was probably Goff’s best day,” Dykes said. “He looked more comfortable today than he did the other two days.”

Dykes also had words of praise for Hinder and Kline too, so don’t think that the race is any closer to its conclusion because of Goff’s performance.

Meanwhile, on defensive, it was Jalen Jefferson’s turn to shine. He had the aforementioned pick from Hinder and generally seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

“He is just playing so fast right now,” Dykes said about Jefferson, whom he named as one of the players that stood out to him.

On the offensive side of the ball, it was Bryce Treggs’ show. The sophomore receiver caught several deep balls and was constantly breaking away from defensive backs.

“I’m always looking for ways to improve,” Treggs said. “I do want to be a game changer.”

Chris Harper, the other star receiver on the squad, also made some big plays. He had a one-handed diving catch in the corner of the end zone that drew cheers from the crowd of about 50 people at the practice.

Meanwhile, two skirmishes that broke out between the offense and the defense put a damper on the practice. One happened during offensive and defensive line drills, and the other occurred during 11-on-11s. This is the third in three days — including one that broke out on Monday.

It’s unclear who started both, but Dykes is not worried about them yet, because the skirmishes — which haven’t been serious enough to call full-blown fights — prove that the players care.

“I’ve been places where I was begging them to fight,” he said. “No one was competitive enough to fight.”

Contact Riley McAtee at rmcatee@dailycal.org

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“It’s time. It’s the second day. Expectations are tripled!”

Those are the words that defensive backs coach Randy Stewart used to fire up his players as day two of Cal’s training camp got under way. Those words may even have embodied the mentality of the entire Cal roster — even if tripled expectations were not the reality.

The quarterback battle was under way once again. Zach Kline got the most reps today, as it is the coaching staff’s plan to rotate who gets the spotlight each day. Kline looked good when he threw a couple of pretty passes for touchdowns, but no quarterback has separated himself enough yet to allow the race to become any clearer.

“Hopefully someone will set themselves apart from the others and make the decision easy,” said coach Sonny Dykes after the practice.

No one has done that so far.

With that battle still raging, the attention turns to other areas of the field.

On defense, Chris McCain looked as explosive as ever. McCain is making the move from linebacker to defensive end, and he didn’t seem out of place for a minute. The junior was constantly in the backfield as the defensive and offensive lines squared off near the south end zone. The story was the same in 11-on-11 drills when McCain put pressure on Hinder.

Meanwhile, the linebackers worked on drills that tested their lateral movement. They were without Nick Forbes, who skipped this practice with a nagging, but ultimately not serious, back injury. Dykes says that he should be back in limited action tomorrow.

Brennan Scarlett, the defensive end opposite McCain, also was injured. He had a red jersey on that indicated he was not to take contact from any player, but he did still participate in formations and basic drills.

Khairi Fortt, who was required to sit last year after transferring from Penn State, was the star linebacker on the field. But without pads on, the linebackers were unable to truly shine.

“Khairi is one of those guys that will show up a lot more once he gets the pads on, because he’s a physical guy,” Dykes said.

Regardless, Fortt was excited to finally be back on the field.

“I’m just elated,” he said after the practice. “I’m glad I made the change.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Brendan Bigelow was taking full reps again in practice. He caught a few balls and generally looked about the same as yesterday — like a back who isn’t quite at full speed but still looks like one of the top talents on the field. However, the two practices have started to catch up with him.

“I’m sore — really, really sore,” he said. “But it’s my second day. I can’t expect too much from myself.”

Those words aren’t just true for Bigelow — we can’t expect too much from anyone. Though Randy Stewart’s expectations may have been tripled, it’s unreasonable to hope for too much on just the second day. Ultimately, what was on show was exactly what one would expect — some promising signs, but nothing definitive enough to blow anyone away.

Contact Riley McAtee at rmcatee@dailycal.org

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It was a beautiful day for football, and the sun was shining down on Memorial Stadium on Monday for the opening of the Bears’ fall training camp.

The first thing that stood out was, surprisingly, Cal’s new helmets. Though the familiar Cal script does not yet adorn them, the matte blue looks good. If nothing else, the team will look stylish when the football season kicks off in less than a month.

The next thing that stood out was Brendan Bigelow. The junior running back had a brace on his right knee, but he still had his flashes of speed. There is no doubt now that his recovery is on schedule — he looked like he could be playing if the season started today. That said, he seemed to be running at about 90 percent of his usual speed. That’s still fast, but once he gets that brace off, the familiar burst will return.

And of course, after Bigelow, all eyes were on the quarterbacks.

Jared Goff got the most reps in 11-on-11 drills. He missed a few passes early but gained consistency down the stretch as the sun began to go down. The usual touch that he has on his passes began to show once some of the rust wore off.

“We were all a little bit rusty out there,” he admitted.

In addition, Goff looked like he had gained some weight. The main knock on him in spring practices was his weight, but he said after the practice that he put on 15 pounds in the summer. It showed, as he didn’t look as frail as he did in the spring.

Zach Kline also looked good when he got reps. His passes had zip — sometimes they were thrown so hard that receivers couldn’t hold on to them. And in drills where all five QBs on the roster were throwing at once, Kline’s arm strength was demonstrated, and it was clear that his balls could hit their target much quicker than anyone else’s.

But Kline had his inconsistencies. A few passes were thrown behind receivers, and he took quite a few sacks.

“I’m going for no turnovers this camp — that’s my goal,” Kline said. “And keep the sacks to a minimum.”

But it was Austin Hinder who stole the show. While he showed off his running ability during spring practice, he showed off his passing today. He connected on a few deep throws that had the crowd cheering.

“This fall camp, I’m trying to stay in the pocket and show that passing is what I’m all about and that, if I have to, I’ll take off.” Hinder said after the practice.

But those three were not the only three throwing the football. Wide receiver Kyle Boehm, who played quarterback in high school, was thrown into wildcat formations early and often. He usually took off running but also showed that he could throw when he connected on some short passes.

Despite the exceptional performance from Hinder, the QB race is still as muddled as ever. Goff and Kline both looked good, despite their inconsistencies. As has been the case for months, we simply will not know more until the season is closer.

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It’s a cliche, but games really are won in the trenches.

Cal experienced the importance of good offensive line play last year. Or, to put that more accurately, Cal experienced the consequences of bad line play. Last year, the Bears ranked 115th out of 120 teams in sacks allowed with 3.42 per game.

Cal is looking to avoid a repeat of 2012.

The good news is that there are new players on the squad. Freddie Tagaloa and Jordan Rigsbee are sophomores who make up the left side of the line at tackle and guard, respectively. Rigsbee started last fall, but Tagaloa is new. Tagaloa played off the bench for the Bears last year — the first true freshman to do so since Brian Schwenke did in 2009.

Speaking of Schwenke, the senior was drafted by the Titans last spring, leaving a hole at center. Matt Cochran looks to be the man to step in, as he started with the most snaps at center during the spring.

Center will be the most key position, as the center is responsible for calling out protection patterns in Dykes’ system. If Cochran the definite starter, his chemistry with whoever is starting at QB behind him will be crucial.

The other two positions on the line — right guard and right tackle — are currently slated to be taken by Alejandro Crosthwaite and Bill Tyndall. Both did not start in 2012.

With Cal’s 2012 campaign fresh in mind, it’s clear that how these new players fit in with Sonny Dykes and Tony Franklin’s new system could be even more important than who starts at quarterback.

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Keenan Allen now plays for the San Diego Chargers, leaving Cal as the holder of the school reception record. So how does the team replace the production of the best receiver in school history? By bringing in one of the most talented sets of receiving recruits in school history to split the burden.

The start of the 2012 season brought the emergence of a talented trio of freshmen: Bryce Treggs, Chris Harper and Darius Powe. Treggs arrived with the highest pedigree, ranking among the top wideout recruits in the nation. After his impressive debut against Nevada, however, his production slowed when an ankle injury hampered his progression. Coach Sonny Dykes selected Treggs as one of his representatives for Pac-12 media day, an indication that a breakout season is expected from the 6-foot wideout in his sophomore campaign.

Harper, the lowest-ranked recruit of the three, broke out in a spectacular way in the latter half of the season. He finished with 544 receiving yards on the season, mostly on the strength of a three-game stretch against Stanford, Utah and Washington, where he accumulated 80 or more receiving yards in each game. Harper begins the year on the short list for the Biletnikoff Award, annually bestowed upon the best receiver in college football.

In addition to Powe, who flashed potential with a couple of highlight reel grabs, junior tight end Richard Rodgers and redshirt freshman Kenny Lawler look to contribute heavily to the pass-happy attack. Allen’s gone, but the collection of talent remaining ought to make his departure a little less painful for Dykes and company.

Contact Michael Rosen at mrosen@dailycal.org

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